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Megrahi ‘in chemical arms trade’

The Lockerbie bomber was implicated in the purchase and development of chemical weapons by Libya, according to documents produced by the American government.

The papers also claim that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi sought to sponsor Latin American terrorist groups and to buy 1,000 letter bombs from Greek arms dealers while working as a Libyan intelligence officer. The documents, which were prepared by the US State Department, reveal the extent of Megrahi's alleged terrorist activities.

They also raise further questions about the wisdom of the Scottish government in releasing the convicted bomber on compassionate grounds.

The papers, dated 1992, were based on information gathered by the CIA to bolster the case against Libya for the 1988 bombing which killed 270 people. They claim that Megrahi's "involvement in Libya's most sensitive, high-priority procurement operations indicates that he enjoyed the fullest confidence of Libya's leadership".